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ENCLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR AN ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER HAVING AN OVER-MOLDED PART
TO PROTECT ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

Abstract

An enclosure assembly for enclosing an electronic controller. The
enclosure assembly comprises a housing having a plurality of cavities
formed therein for receiving electrical components of the electrical
controller. The enclosure assembly further includes an over-molded part
formed from an elastic material that lines at least a portion of each
cavity. The over-molded part reduces the effect of deceleration forces on
the electrical component that is received in the cavity thereby
protecting it from damage. The over-molded part includes a retention
feature that locates the over-molded part within the cavity and secures
it to the enclosure assembly. An interference fit is provided between the
over-molded part and the electrical component received in the cavity.

1. An enclosure assembly for enclosing an electronic controller for use
in a vehicle, the enclosure assembly comprising: a housing having at
least one cavity formed therein, said cavity shaped to receive an
electrical component of the electronic controller; and an over-molded
part formed inside said cavity, said over-molded part formed from an
elastic material and lining at least a portion of said cavity.

2. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said over-molded
part further comprises a retention feature, said retention feature
securing said over-molded part within said cavity.

3. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said cavity
includes at least one opening in a top portion thereof and said
over-molded part extends through said opening in said cavity thereby
forming said retention feature.

4. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said over-molded
part includes a plurality of ribs separated by slots within said cavity.

5. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said over-molded
part has a thickness sufficient to form an interference fit with the
electrical component received in said cavity.

6. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said over-molded
part further comprises at least one top rib.

7. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said over-molded
part further includes a chamfered rim.

8. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said over-molded
part is formed from a rubber material, an elastomeric material, or a
mixture thereof.

9. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least
one cavity of said housing includes a plurality of cavities and said
over-molded part is formed inside each of said plurality of cavities,
said over-molded part being of a unitary design.

10. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said
over-molded part further includes at least one spring protrusion
extending into said cavity.

11. A method of forming an enclosure assembly for enclosing an electronic
controller for use in a vehicle, comprising the steps of: a) providing a
housing having at least one cavity formed and shaped for receiving an
electrical component; and b) molding an over-molded part within the at
least one cavity, the over-molded part lining a portion of the cavity and
being formed from an elastic material, wherein the over-molded part is
retained within the cavity.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the cavity includes at
least one opening in a top portion thereof, and wherein the over-molded
part includes a retention feature, the retention feature extending
through the at least one opening in the top portion of the cavity and
retaining the over-molded part with in the cavity.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the molding in step b)
comprises injection molding of the over-molded part.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein step b) comprises forming
the over-molded part from a rubber material, an elastomeric material, or
a mixture thereof.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein step b) comprises molding
a plurality of ribs and slots in the over-molded part within the at least
one cavity.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein step b) comprises molding
a chamfered rim in the over-molded part.

17. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein step b) further comprises
molding at least one top rib in the over-molded part.

18. The method as recited in claim 10, comprising the further steps after
step b) of providing the electrical controller having at least one
electrical component mounted thereon and inserting the electrical
component into the at least one cavity, the electrical component forming
a radial interference fit with the over-molded part within the at least
one cavity.

19. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising providing at
least one gap between the electrical component and the over-molded part
to allow for flex of the over-molded part.

20. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising in step a)
providing a housing having a plurality of cavities formed therein and
step b) comprising molding within the plurality of cavities an
over-molded part, the over-molded part lining a portion of each of the
cavities and being formed from an elastic material in a unitary design.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
Ser. No. 62/296,634 filed Feb. 18, 2016, which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.

FIELD

[0002] This invention relates generally to an enclosure assembly for an
electronic controller and more particularly to an enclosure assembly
having an over-molded part to provide enhanced protection of sensitive
electronic components received in the enclosure assembly.

BACKGROUND

[0003] This section provides background information related to the present
disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

[0004] Continued increases in technology permit more and more features to
be added to modern vehicles, particularly electronic components and
electronic controllers. The electronic controllers receive, process and
transmit a variety of electrical data. These electronic controllers and
their associated electronic components are used to control a wide variety
of functions in the vehicle including common examples such as power
windows, power latches for doors and other vehicle panels, motion
sensitive locking mechanisms, remote sensing features, garage door
openers, touch sensitive combination locks for doors, moon roof controls,
seating controls, audio controls, motion sensors, position sensors, and
crash sensors. Many times it is most advantageous to have the electronic
controllers associated close to the actual mechanisms they control. Thus,
for example, one designs an electronic controller for a door latch to be
built into the door panel right next to the mechanical locking feature it
controls. Typically these electronic controllers include a circuit board,
which may be a printed circuit board, to control the mechanical features
based on the circuits and electrical components on the board. These
circuit boards and electronic controllers are sensitive to environmental
damage so they need to be covered and protected from the elements. This
is typically done by enclosing them within an enclosure assembly having a
housing, often formed from a hard plastic material, and it may include
O-ring type seals to prevent ingress of dirt and moisture. Generally the
housing is large enough to accommodate the electrical controllers and
electrical components with room to spare so that assembly of the entire
enclosure assembly can be rapidly accomplished on an assembly line. The
enclosure assembly with the electronic controller in it is then mounted
to a location on or inside the vehicle. For example, an electronic
controller for a latch mechanism might be mounted inside a door of a
vehicle and secured to an interior door panel.

[0005] One issue with current enclosure assemblies, especially those used
to control latches of vehicle panels and doors, is that with use of the
door the electrical controller, electrical components and circuit board
are subjected to deceleration forces as the door reaches the end of its
travel both when it is opened and when it is shut. The door is
accelerated from an open position to a closed position or vice versa and
then the motion is abruptly stopped as the door reaches its final opened
or closed position. These deceleration forces can be significant. As the
mass of the part increases the force it is subjected to increases. Many
latches are "smart latches" meaning a portion of their action is
automatic. So for example many door latches are designed to automatically
lock when a vehicle reaches a pre-determined velocity. One feature that
is needed for many of these electronic controllers, especially those used
in "smart" environments, is the ability to provide power to the circuit
board in the event of loss of power from the vehicle battery such as in
an accident, interruption of the electrical connection from the battery,
or the event of a dead battery. To deal with this issue designers are
mounting capacitors, super capacitors and backup batteries onto the
circuit board to provide power to the electronic controller in the event
of a loss of power from the vehicle battery. These backup power devices
are much larger than most other components typically found on the circuit
board and thus they are also subjected to higher forces during
deceleration events in opening and closing of the door. The deceleration
forces can cause the electrical components to be jarred while on the
circuit board, they can be damaged internally, and they can detach from
the circuit board. These components need to be protected from these
deceleration forces. In addition, some enclosure assemblies do not hold
the circuit board tightly and as a result, the circuit board rattles in
the enclosure assembly during operation of the vehicle, thereby
generating noise, which can negatively affect the impression of quality
of the vehicle to its owner. This rattling can also damage the electrical
components found on the circuit board.

[0006] It is desirable to provide an enclosure assembly that can protect
the electrical components against deceleration forces, that is cost
effective to implement and that can easily adapted to a variety of
enclosure designs.

SUMMARY

[0007] This section provides a general summary of some aspects, features
and advantages provided by or associated with the inventive concepts
hereinafter disclosed in accordance with the present disclosure and is
not intended to be a comprehensive summation and/or limit the
interpretation and scope of protection afforded by the claims.

[0008] In an aspect, this disclosure provides an enclosure assembly for
enclosing an electronic controller for use in a vehicle, the enclosure
assembly comprising a housing having at least one cavity shaped to
receive an electrical component of an electronic controller, and an
over-molded part formed inside the cavity, the over-molded part being
formed from an elastic material and lining at least a portion of the
cavity.

[0009] In accordance with this aspect, the enclosure assembly of the
present disclosure is configured such that the over-molded part can
include a retention feature for securing the over-molded part within the
cavity. The over-molded part can include a plurality of ribs separated by
slots formed within the cavity. The over-molded part can have a thickness
dimension selected to form an interference fit with the electrical
component received in the cavity. The over-molded part may be formed from
a rubber material, an elastomeric material, or a mixture thereof. The
over-molded part may include at least one spring protrusion extending
into the cavity.

[0010] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of
forming an enclosure assembly for enclosing an electronic controller for
use in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of a) providing a
housing having at least one cavity formed therein that is shaped for
receiving an electrical component, and b) molding within the at least one
cavity an over-molded part, the over-molded part lining a portion of the
cavity and being formed from an elastic material, the over-molded part
being retained within the cavity.

[0011] In accordance with this particular aspect, the cavity may include
an opening and the over-molded part may include a retention feature
extending through the opening for retaining the over-molded part within
the cavity. The method may further include the step of inserting the
electronic controller into the cavity such that an electrical component
on the electronic controller forms an interference fit with the
over-molded part within the cavity. A gap may be provided between the
electrical component and the over-molded part to allow for flexure of the
over-molded part.

[0012] These and other aspects and areas of applicability will become
apparent from the description provided herein. The description and
specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of
illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure. The drawings that accompany the detailed description are
described below.

DRAWINGS

[0013] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of
selected embodiments and not all possible or anticipated implementations
thereof, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a side cutaway view of a portion of an electronic
controller enclosure assembly constructed according to a first embodiment
of the present disclosure and which is designed to accommodate the
electronic controller shown in FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of the enclosure assembly
shown in FIG. 2;

[0017] FIG. 4 shows a side cutaway view of a portion of the enclosure
assembly shown in FIG. 2 aligned with the electronic controller shown in
FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 6 shows the electronic controller shown in FIG. 4 fully
inserted into an enclosure assembly constructed according to a second
embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 7 shows the electronic controller shown in FIG. 4 fully
inserted into an enclosure assembly constructed according to a third
embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a closure panel system of a motor
vehicle having a power latch assembly equipped with the enclosure
assembly of the present disclosure.

[0022] It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like
features are identified by like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In the following description, details are set forth to provide an
understanding of the present disclosure. In some instances, certain
systems, structures and techniques have not been described or shown in
detail in order not to obscure the disclosure.

[0024] In general, the present disclosure relates to an enclosure assembly
for electronic controllers and electrical components, particularly those
associated with latches. The enclosure assembly of this disclosure will
be described in conjunction with one or more example embodiments.
However, the specific example embodiments disclosed are merely provided
to describe the inventive concepts, features, advantages and objectives
will sufficient clarity to permit those skilled in this art to understand
and practice the disclosure.

[0025] The enclosure assembly of the present disclosure includes features
to protect the electrical components from damage due to deceleration
forces which can damage the electrical components and their connections.
These components might include, for example and without limitation,
on-board backup batteries, capacitors, super capacitors, electronic
controllers and other electrical components mounted onto a circuit board.
The enclosure assembly can be adapted to enclose a variety of electronic
controllers and their associated electrical components and circuit
boards.

[0026] In the present disclosure the example that will be discussed is an
electronic controller for a latch of a vehicle; however the design can be
utilized with other electronic controllers and associate electrical
components. An electronic controller (EC) for a latch is powered, during
normal operating conditions, by the main power source of the vehicle. The
EC also can have a built in a backup energy source to supply electrical
power to the EC and the latch mechanisms during a failure operating
condition. This could be a dead main battery, a crash or other main power
source failure. The backup energy source often includes backup batteries,
capacitors that are charged during normal operation and super capacitors
that are charged during normal operations to store up electrical energy
to be used during failure condition to operate the latch.

[0027] The disclosed enclosure assembly includes a rigid housing with an
over-molded part having elastic properties that surrounds and retains an
electrical component in a cavity formed in the housing and in position on
a circuit board. The over-molded part is preferably formed from a rubber
material, an elastomer, a mixture thereof, or another elastic material.
It should be understood that the over-molded part can alternatively be
formed of other materials, such as, but not limited to foam or plastic.
The over-molded part needs to be able to deform and return to its
original shape to dampen the effect of the deceleration on the electrical
component it is protecting. The over-molded part fits inside the cavity
in the housing where the electrical component is received. The
over-molded part lines at least a portion of the cavity. The over-molded
part also includes a retention feature that extends outside the housing
and serves as a way to hold it in place inside the housing so it cannot
be separated from the housing. The retention feature retains the
over-molded part in position in the enclosure assembly during its
manufacture, transportation and use to enclose the electronic controller.

[0028] In one aspect, the over-molded part may be formed to include a
plurality of ribs around a circumference to allow for easy insertion of
an electrical component into the cavity and to provide a radial
interference fit of the electrical component in the cavity. Preferably,
the over-molded part is designed to have a chamfered rim to ease the
insertion process and to help with alignment of the electrical component
in the cavity (i.e., the ribs are compressed or displaced as the
electrical component is inserted into the cavity). In another preferred
embodiment the over-molded part includes top ribs to further help with
removing deceleration forces. These top ribs can be any design, for
example a cross hatch design, a series of concentric circles or rims or
other designs to provide a buffer against the top of the electrical
component in the cavity. The thickness of the over-molded part inside the
cavity is dictated by the overall size constraints of the cavity relative
to the electrical component received in the cavity and the amount of
expected deceleration force. The thickness of the over-molded part in the
cavity is sufficient to provide an interference fit between the
over-molded part and an electrical component received in the cavity.

[0029] As described above, the over-molded part can be formed from a
rubber material, an elastomeric material, foam, plastic, or mixtures
thereof. The chosen material must be elastic or resilient to provide a
dampening effect and to hold the electrical component in place without
suffering as strong of a deceleration effect. Suitable elastomeric, foam,
plastic, and rubber materials are known to those of skill in the art.

[0030] The disclosed enclosure assembly is preferably formed by a molding
process wherein the over-molded part is molded onto a portion of the
housing of the enclosure assembly. Preferably, the over-molded part is
formed by injection molding of the rubber or elastomer material over the
desired portion of the housing to line a portion of a cavity in the
housing that is intended to receive an electrical component. This process
also allows the retention features to be developed by the shape of the
mold so that the over-molded part does not come out of the housing. The
retention features make the enclosure assembly easier to package and use
on an assembly line. The enclosure assembly and the over-molded part stay
together and in alignment by virtue of the retention feature. The design
also allows one to remove the EC from an enclosure assembly without
pulling out the over-molded part for repair or replacement of the EC. The
over-molded part design can be accommodated to any housing shape and thus
offers a universal solution.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a stylized electronic
controller 10 comprising a printed circuit board 20 having attached
thereto a plurality of electrical components 24. The stylized electronic
controller shown at 10 is meant to be for illustration purposes only and
not to limit the shape, functionality or design of any electronic
controller (EC) that might be used with the present disclosure. The
circuit board 20 is also shown as having an optional terminal block 22
mounted thereto. The circuit board 20 further comprises one or more holes
26 that can be used to locate the EC 10 within an enclosure assembly,
discussed below, and/or to secure it to an enclosure assembly. The
circuit board 20 may be any suitable type of circuit board, such as a
printed circuit board and may have a plurality of electrical components
24 soldered thereto as shown. The circuit board 20 may be formed from any
suitable material such as an epoxy resin reinforced with glass-fiber.

[0032] The electrical components 24 can have any shape or size and the
shapes and sizes shown in FIG. 1 are for illustration purposes only. The
electrical components 24 can comprise a variety of electrical components
including, for example, a processor, a relay, a connector to a daughter
board or a daughter board, a backup battery, a capacitor, a super
capacitor, or a terminal block 22. The terminal block 22 permits the
connection of the electronic controller 10 to other electrical components
such as an external power source (e.g. the vehicle's low-voltage battery
system) and for communication with other devices in the vehicle. The
low-voltage battery system may refer to a 12V battery system, a 42V
battery system or some other voltage. The term `low-voltage` is intended
to distinguish the battery system from the high-voltage battery system
found on vehicles that have an electric traction motor. For greater
certainty, it will be understood that the controller 10 may be used in
vehicles that have electric traction motors and also vehicles that do not
have such motors.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a side cutaway view of a portion of a first embodiment
of an electronic controller enclosure assembly 30 constructed according
to the present disclosure and designed to accommodate the electronic
controller 10 shown in FIG. 1. Only a portion of the enclosure assembly
30 is shown for illustrative purposes and simplicity. The enclosure
assembly 30 includes a housing 32 having formed therein a series of
cavities 34, each cavity 34 is shaped to receive an electrical component
24. Although the electrical components 24 are illustrated in the Figures
as capacitors, it should be appreciated that cavities 34 and over-molded
part 40 can accommodate various other electrical components 24, such as,
but not limited to batteries. The enclosure assembly 30 typically
includes two mating housings 32, only one of which is shown, that are
designed to fit together to fully enclose the EC 10. The other portion of
the enclosure assembly 30 is not shown for simplicity. The housing 32 can
be formed from a variety of suitable materials as known to those of skill
in the art including rigid plastic and resin materials. The housing 32
can include a plurality of holes 52 used to secure the two portions of
the enclosure assembly 30 together and to secure the housing 32 to a
vehicle. The housing 32 can be secured to any location of a vehicle;
typically a housing 32 for a latch is secured inside a door panel as
known to those of skill in the art. As shown, each cavity 34 includes at
least one opening 36 in a top portion of the cavity 34.

[0034] Each cavity 34 includes an over-molded part 40 designed to surround
and protect the electrical component 24 received in the cavity 34. The
over-molded part 40 lines a portion of the cavity 34. The over-molded
part 40 can be a unitary design as shown (i.e., for multiple cavities 34)
or it can be created a separate part for each cavity 34. The over-molded
part 40 is designed to include a retention feature 42 that extends
through the at least one opening 36 to locate the over-molded part 40 in
the cavity 34 and to secure the over-molded part 40 within the cavity 34.
The retention feature 42 includes a swelled portion larger than the
opening 36 on the outside of the cavity 34 that ensures that the
over-molded part 40 does not get separated from the cavity 34 as the EC
10 is inserted into the enclosure 30 and removed therefrom. It also
ensures that the over-molded part 40 stays with enclosure assembly 30
housing 32 during manufacture, transportation and assembly of the
enclosure assembly 30. The retention feature 42 can have other shapes so
long as it retains the over-molded part 40 in the cavity 34. Preferably
the over-molded part 40 is designed with a rim having a chamfer 44 to
make insertion of the EC 10 into the cavities 34 easier. In addition, the
over-molded part 40 can comprise a series of ribs 46 separated by slots
48 to also ease insertion of the electrical components 24 into the
cavities 34. In another optional feature the over-molded part 40 can
include one or more top ribs 50 to further protect the electrical
component 24 received in the cavity 34. The shape and number of ribs 46
and 50 can be adjusted according to the shape and design of the
electrical component 24. The over-molded part 40 has a thickness
sufficient to form an interference fit with the electrical component
received in the cavity 34. In the design shown in FIG. 2 the ribs 46 and
slots 48 serve to provide a radial interference fit with the electrical
component 24 received in the cavity 34. This radial interference fit aids
during assembly of the enclosure assembly 30 and to further protect the
electrical components 24.

[0035] In addition to or as an alternative to ribs 46 and top ribs 50,
crush ribs can be molded into the over-molded part 40 (e.g., extending
inwardly from and along the length of cavity 34). Such crush ribs can be
formed to have semicircular, rectangular, or triangular cross-sections,
for example, to help maintain an interference fit with the electrical
component 24, while providing desired damping characteristics.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of the housing 32 shown in
FIG. 2. As shown, the housing 32 of enclosure assembly 30 can include a
series of holes 54 or a boss 52 with a through hole as shown. These can
be used to secure the two portions of an enclosure assembly 30 together
or to secure the enclosure assembly 30 to a vehicle. The enclosure
assembly 30 can be mounted to any suitable location in the vehicle, such
as inside a door panel or any other structure. As known to those of skill
in the art, the enclosure assembly 30 could also comprise clips, not
shown, to allow for securing the two portions of the enclosure assembly
30 together without the use of any tools.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a side cutaway view of a portion of the enclosure
assembly 30 shown in FIG. 2 and aligned with the electronic controller 10
shown in FIG. 1 prior to insertion of the electronic controller 10 into
the enclosure assembly 30. FIG. 5 shows the electronic controller 10
shown in FIG. 4 inserted fully into the enclosure assembly 30 shown in
FIG. 4 according to the present disclosure. The electrical components 24
and EC 10 are secured in the enclosure assembly 30 by the interference
fit with the over-molded part 40. In addition, as discussed herein the EC
10 may include holes 26 used to secure the EC 10 to the housing 32. In
other designs, the EC 10 is held in place in the enclosure assembly 30 by
virtue of the two portions of the enclosure assembly 30 being secured to
each other. When inserted into the cavity 34 a series of gaps 60 and 62
are created to accommodate some flex of the over-molded part 40 in the
cavities 34 during deceleration events and to allow for some deformation
of the over-molded part 40. Similar gaps, not shown, are created by the
slots 48. All of the gaps allow for flex of the over-molded part 40 to
absorb the deceleration forces and prevent them from damaging the
electrical components. The over-molded part 40 significantly reduces the
effect of deceleration forces on the electrical components 24. The
electrical components 24 are held in a secure manner and cushioned by the
elastic nature of the material used to form the over-molded part 40. The
electrical components 24 are not subject to damage from rattling either
as they are held in an interference fit with some give as provided by the
elastic nature of the over-molded part 40.

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a side cutaway view of a portion of a second
embodiment of an enclosure assembly 30' and shows the electronic
controller 10 inserted fully into the enclosure assembly 30' according to
the present disclosure. Like the first embodiment, the electrical
components 24 and EC 10 are secured in the enclosure assembly 30' by the
interference fit with the over-molded part 40'. However, the over-molded
part 40' utilizes spring protrusions 41 that extend into the cavity 34 in
order to provide an interference fit and to damp movement of the
electronic components 24. Such an over-molded part 40' is preferably
formed of a resilient or elastic plastic, however, other materials may be
used instead. When in contact with the electronic components 24, the
spring protrusions 41 accommodate some flex of the over-molded part 40'
in the cavities 34 during deceleration events and to allow for some
deformation of the over-molded part 40', much like the over-molded part
40 of the first embodiment. The over-molded part 40' includes a retention
feature 42' that extends through the at least one opening 36 to locate
the over-molded part 40' in the cavity 34 and to secure the over-molded
part 40' within the cavity 34. The retention feature 42' includes a lip
portion larger than the opening 36 on the outside of the cavity 34 that
ensures that the over-molded part 40' does not get separated from the
cavity 34 as the EC 10 is inserted into the enclosure 30' and removed
therefrom. The retention feature 42' also ensures that the over-molded
part 40' stays with the housing 32 of the enclosure assembly 30' during
manufacture, transportation and assembly of the enclosure assembly 30'.
The retention feature 42' can alternatively have other shapes to retain
the over-molded part 40' in the cavity 34.

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a side cutaway view of a portion of a third embodiment
of an enclosure assembly 30'' and shows the electronic controller 10
inserted fully into the enclosure assembly 30'' according to the present
disclosure. As in the first embodiment, the electrical components 24 and
EC 10 are secured in the enclosure assembly 30'' by the interference fit
with the over-molded part 40. However, the enclosure assembly 30'' also
includes a separate dampening gasket 43 in addition to the over-molded
part 40. The dampening gasket 43 is disposed between the circuit board 20
and the housing 32. It should be appreciated that the dampening gasket 43
could alternatively be disposed on the opposite side of the circuit board
20 for engaging the second portion of the enclosure assembly 30''.

[0040] In summary, the disclosed enclosure assemblies 30, 30', 30'' with
over-molded parts 40, 40' provide an improved enclosure assemblies 30,
30', 30'' that protect electrical components 24 of electrical controllers
10. The disclosed process and product can be rapidly adjusted to changes
in enclosure design. It is a cost effective solution and reduces the
effect of deceleration on electrical components 24. It also prevents
rattling of the electronic controllers 10 in the enclosure assemblies 30,
30', 30''.

[0041] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a vehicle 110 that includes a
vehicle body 112 and at least one vehicle door 114 (also referred to as
closure panel 114). The vehicle door 114 includes a latch assembly 120
that is positioned on an edge face 115 and which is releasably engageable
with a striker 128 on the vehicle body 112 to releasably hold the vehicle
door 114 in a closed position. An outside door handle 117 and an inside
door handle 116 are provided for opening the latch assembly 120 (i.e. for
releasing the latch assembly 120 from the striker 128) to open the
vehicle door 114. An optional lock knob 118 is shown and provides a
visual indication of the lock state of the latch assembly 120 and may be
operable to change the lock state between an unlocked position and a
locked position.

[0042] The closure panel 114 (e.g. occupant ingress or egress controlling
panels such as but not limited to vehicle doors and lift gates/hatches)
is connected to the vehicle body 112 via one or more hinges (not shown)
and the latch assembly 120 (e.g. for retaining the closure panel 114 in a
closed position once closed). It is also recognized that the hinge can be
configured as a biased hinge that can be configured to bias the closure
panel 114 towards the open position and/or towards the closed position.
As shown in FIG. 8, the latch assembly 120 can be mounted on the closure
panel 114 and the mating latch component 128 can be mounted on the body
112. Alternative to that shown in FIG. 8, the closure panel 114 can have
a mating latch component 128 (e.g. striker) mounted thereon for coupling
with a respective latch assembly 120 (e.g. with a ratchet component of
the latch assembly 120) mounted on the vehicle body 112 (not shown). It
is contemplated that enclosure assemblies 30, 30', 30'' with over-molded
parts 40, 40'' disclosed in reference to FIGS. 1-7, will be associated
with latch assembly 120 to provide the improvement described previously
in great detail.

[0043] The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the
relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than
limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed
embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and do come
within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded
as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are
intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled
in the art will recognize that concepts disclosed in association with an
example enclosure assembly can likewise be implemented into many other
systems to control one or more operations and/or functions. Accordingly,
the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be
determined by studying the following claims.

[0044] Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the
art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific
components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of
embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that
example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that
neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some
example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures,
and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

[0045] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may be intended
to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and
"having," are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated
features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but
do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,
integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to
be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular
order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an
order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or
alternative steps may be employed.

[0046] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged
to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be
directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer,
or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an
element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to,"
"directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or
layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other
words used to describe the relationship between elements should be
interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., "between" versus "directly between,"
"adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term
"and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the
associated listed items.

[0047] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to
describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,
these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be
limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one
element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer
or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms
when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly
indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer
or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component,
region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the
example embodiments.

[0048] Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "beneath,"
"below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used herein for
ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to
another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially
relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the
device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the
figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over,
elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features
would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the
example term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and
below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated degrees or at other
orientations) and the spatially relative descriptions used herein
interpreted accordingly.